Department for Transport

West Coast Railway Line: Trains

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that the Pendolino trains currently operating on the West Coast Main Line will be able to operate on the HS2 line, at leastduring times of maintenance or disruption of the West Coast Main Line.

baroness sugg: There are no plans to operate Pendolino trains on the new high-speed railway line. Pendolino trains are currently limited to 200kph and operating these on a high-speed line with trains routinely operating at 330kph, and up to 360kph, would mean that we would be unable to maintain journey times and this would reduce the capacity of HS2.

Bus Service Operators Grant

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 27 March (HL6439), what guarantees they have that the Bus Service Operators Grant funding devolved to local authorities is actually spent on bus services; and to what extent local authorities are allowed to use the grant as a substitute for money that they previously spent on supporting bus services.

baroness sugg: The Bus Services Operators grant (BSOG) devolved to Local Authorities is ring-fenced and may only be used for the purposes of supporting bus services. At year-end the Chief Executive and Chief Internal Auditor of each recipient authority must return a declaration that the grant conditions have been complied with. It is up to individual local authorities to choose how they spend un-ringfenced funding, however local authorities are required to report annually on their spend.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Business: Regulation

baroness andrews: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will announce the appointment of the independent body to verify assessments and lists in reports under section 25 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

lord henley: The independent verification body will be appointed in due course and before the business impact target is set, as required under section 25 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

Business: Regulation

baroness andrews: To ask Her Majesty's Government how, and when, they intend to consult with businesses, consumers, and representatives of civil society, on the business impact target, and interim target, to be published under section 21 of the SmallBusiness, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

lord henley: The Government engages regularly with representatives of businesses, consumers and civil society on all aspects of its better regulation agenda, including the business impact target. In setting the target, the Government will have regard to delivering efficient regulation while keeping the costs to business and voluntary or community bodies to the minimum.

Banks: Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 21 March (HL6193),whether any part of financial regulation either exempts banks from the accounting solvency requirements of the Companies Act 2006 or gives the duty to oversee those requirements to the Prudential Regulatory Authority or Financial Conduct Authority instead; and if so, which.

lord henley: Banks in the UK are subject to the full accounting solvency requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The ongoing supervision of these and the additional regulatory requirements, on banks in particular, is conducted by the Prudential Regulation Authority as set out in the Financial Services Act 2012.

Theatres: Lighting

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on theatre groups and lighting designers of the proposed phasing out from 2020 of the use of tungsten halogen lamps.

lord henley: The current proposals from the European Commission are still open for discussion and no decisions have yet been made about the future of tungsten lighting for use in theatres. We are aware of the concerns raised by theatre groups, lighting designers and others and will as, part of our evidence gathering seek views prior to voting on the Regulation. Our initial technical advice suggests there are low energy lighting alternatives (e.g. LEDs) which use much less energy and have a longer lifetime than the tungsten lightbulbs. As a result, savings on energy bills will outweigh higher purchasing costs over the lifetime of the product. The Department also carries out a cost benefit analysis of these measures but this does not address specific sectors.

Cost of Living

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the effect of Brexiton consumers, particularly regarding its effecton the cost of living.

lord henley: The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU, including the implications for consumers. This programme of analysis is constantly developing and evolving. We continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including consumer organisations, in order to inform our negotiations.

Business

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider that the recently agreed transition period will provide enough time for businesses to be ready for Brexit; and what support they will provide, particularly to smaller businesses, to ensure that they are.

lord henley: Ministers regularly meet small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and their representative bodies, as part of our preparation to leave the EU, to understand the concerns of small business owners and to find out what support they want from government. The time-limited implementation period responds to many of their concerns by giving businesses and citizens across the European Union and United Kingdom time they need to prepare for the future, by ensuring our access to each other’s markets continues on current terms. The support provided to businesses will also be informed by the outcome of negotiations with the EU on our future relationship.

EURATOM

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Henley on 20 March (HL Deb, col 219) that they will seek a "close association" with Euratom after Brexit, what areas they seek to cover in such an association; whether they have engaged in (1) meetings, and (2) correspondence, with Euratom about such an association; if not, when they will approach Euratom about such an association; and whether they will report on progress on that issue in the regular reports to Parliament provided for in the Nuclear Safeguards Bill.

lord henley: The Government has made clear that its ambition for a close association with the Euratom Community after the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union includes seeking a close association with the Euratom Research and Training Programme, including the Joint European Torus (JET) and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) projects; continuity of open trade arrangements for nuclear goods and products to ensure that the nuclear industry is able to continue to trade across EU borders without disruption; and close and effective cooperation with Euratom on nuclear safety.The negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU have not yet begun so no formal meetings have yet taken place on the nature of the future relationship with Euratom. The Government has ensured that the European Commission is aware of the Government’s January Ministerial Statement setting out the UK’s objective of close association on Euratom and what this would cover. This was reinforced in my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s speech at Mansion House on 2 March. The Government will continue to report on progress through its quarterly reports to Parliament, the first of which was made on 26 March.

Radioactive Materials: USA

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their contingency plan in the event that the United States Senate does not ratify by treaty a new Nuclear Cooperation Agreement by the end of 2020, following the UK's exit from Euratom.

lord henley: The US has a legal requirement for a nuclear cooperation agreement to be in place before civil nuclear trade with another country can be permitted. For this reason, the Government has prioritised discussions with the US, to ensure that a new bilateral agreement will be in place when Euratom’s agreements no longer apply to the UK. The strong links between US and UK on civil nuclear matters ensure that both parties are keen to progress this agreement to their mutual benefit. Significant progress has been made on the substance of the new agreement and it is on track to be presented to the UK Parliament and US Congress in the course of 2018 for ratification, ensuring that the agreement will be ready well before the end of 2020

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Russia: Football

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Foreign Secretary on 21 March comparing the way President Putin is promoting the World Cup in Russia to Hitler's use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, what assessment they have made of the likely reception of the Foreign Secretary’s words among the Russian population, particularly in the light of that country’s response to Nazism during the Second World War.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary repeatedly made it clear that we have no quarrel with the Russian people. The Foreign Secretary's concern was that President Putin could use the World Cup to serve his propaganda aims. Distortion of facts and divergence from the truth is a regular tactic of Putin's Russia. The Government are well aware of the huge sacrifices made by the Russian people during the Second World War, and our shared history in defeating Nazism.

Russia: Diplomatic Relations

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to recall the UK Ambassador to Russia for consultation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We and our EU partners stand shoulder to shoulder in sending the strongest signal to the Kremlin that Russia cannot continue to flout international law and threaten our security. All the other twenty-seven European Council leaders have confirmed they stand in unqualified solidarity with the UK in the face of the grave challenge Russia poses to our shared security. In addition, eighteen EU member states have so far announced they will expel a number of Russian diplomats.We have no plans to recall the UK Ambassador to Russia for consultation. However, as part of our response to the Salisbury incident, we will keep further options under review and will not hesitate to act should it be necessary.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

lord collins of highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of (1) the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and (2) the People's Republic of China, following the publication of the Six Monthly Report to Parliament on Hong Kong: July–December 2017, published on 15 March, in which the Foreign Secretary stated that "'One Country, Two Systems', generally functions well. However, the increasing pressure I described in the foreword of my last six-monthly report continued in the second half of 2017".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government regularly discusses the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the importance of 'One Country, Two Systems' with the Governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the People's Republic of China. Since the publication of the most recent Six Monthly Report, officials in Hong Kong, London and Beijing have discussed the specific issues raised with their counterparts in the Hong Kong and Chinese governments.

Embassies: Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions have any British High Commissions or Embassies put potential clients in touch with representatives of SCL Elections or Cambridge Analytica.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not identified any occasions where British High Commissions or Embassies put potential clients in touch with representatives of those companies.

Anguilla: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have given to Anguilla since Hurricane Irma to help re-build infrastructure; and what support they will give in the next five years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma, the crew of RFA Mounts Bay repaired the generator and electricity distribution at Anguilla's only hospital; effected emergency repairs to ensure the integrity of a ruptured storage tank at the island's bulk fuel depot established the integrity of the Road Bay Jetty, Anguilla's only point of sea access, and of the airport runway.In the following weeks, the principal elements of support provided by the UK Government have been:generators to allow Anguilla's six primary schools and the one secondary school to reopen within five weeks of the hurricanetwo large generators to the hospital which now has a full independent generating capacity, including redundancya large capacity generator to ensure the island's main water desalination plant is able to operate without mains powerapproximately:£1.5 million to secure the services of a Canadian contractor to accelerate the restoration of power across Anguilla before Christmas£1.2 million of assistance to enable the airport to resume commercial operations with an emergency control tower and the equipment and services needed to allow the airport to resume night flights – this is critical to the island's economy£200,000 to effect repairs to Her Majesty's Prison Anguilla£200,000 of repairs to the main hall at the Secondary School to enable children to take external public exams which could not be delayed and repairs to the Teachers Education Centre£2.5 million of funding transferred to the Government of Anguilla to effect emergency repairs to a range of public buildingsLooking ahead Her Majesty's Government has committed a further £60 million to fund a range of long term infrastructure projects.

Anguilla: Foreign Relations

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the strength of the relationship between the UK and Anguilla.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The relationship between the UK Government and the Government of Anguilla is one based on partnership with each responsible for delivering their duties under Anguilla's constitution; always acting in the best interests of the people of Anguilla.

India: Christianity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 March (HL6283),what assessment they have made of reported restrictions on the ability to celebrate Christian holidays in India.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Officials from the British High Commission in New Delhi recently met representatives of minority group. None of these groups reported restrictions on celebrating holidays in India. However in view of the reports to which the noble Lord refers, I am asking officials in New Delhi to look further into these reports.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there will be a focus on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We anticipate the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will cover various gender issues, given member states' unanimous commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 5 on ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls. However, the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative is not a standalone agenda item.Delegates from across the Commonwealth will attend the Commonwealth Women's Forum at the start of summit week. The programme will include substantive plenary sessions and parallel workshops, providing delegates with the chance to focus on specific areas including gender-based violence and women, peace and security.

Department of Health and Social Care

Strokes: Young People

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of strokesin young adults across the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: The risk factors for stroke in young people are largely the same as for older people. However, there are some additional risk factors that are seen more frequently in younger people such as dissection of the neck arteries, congenital abnormalities of the blood vessels in the brain, recreational drug use and antiphospholipid syndrome.Public Health England is focussed on primary prevention to reduce the number of strokes in young adults across the United Kingdom. Educating the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in this. Change4Life is Public Health England’s flagship campaign to help families and children in England to eat well and move more.In partnership with the Stroke Association, Public Health England relaunched the national ‘Act FAST’ stroke campaign in February 2017 and did so again in February 2018. This campaign targets people of all ages and aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of stroke, encouraging people who recognise any of the signs, in themselves or others, to call 999.

Public Health: EU Law

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that the public health protections available to UK citizens under Article 168 of the Lisbon Treaty will be enshrined in UK law following the UK's exit from the EU.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is committed to ensuring a high level of public health protection is maintained as we exit the European Union. The United Kingdom has a strong public health framework and leads Europe in many aspects of health protection and promotion. As the Secretary of State has set out, the Government’s principles as we exit the EU are that patients are not disadvantaged and patient safety remains at the heart of all we do. The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to take all steps that he considers appropriate to protect the health of the public in England from disease or other dangers to health.The UK is also a signatory to, and is bound by, International Health Regulations which set out core capacities for World Health Organization member states, to ‘prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease.’ The UK will also continue cooperation in international forums, such as the World Health Organization.

Debts

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of each of the six conclusions in the Royal Society for Public Health report, Life on Debt Row.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department is currently reviewing the six conclusions in the Royal Society for Public Health’s report Life on debt row.The Government recognises that experiencing debt problems or a financial crisis can have a wide impact on a person’s health and mental and social wellbeing. The Government takes a comprehensive and strategic approach to reducing health inequalities that addresses the wider causes of ill-health, promotes healthier lifestyles for all and tackles differences in access and outcomes from health and public health services, underpinned by legal duties. Action is led locally to ensure the solutions put in place reflect the needs of individual communities.The 2017 manifesto committed the Government to implement a Breathing Space scheme, with the right safeguards to prevent abuse, so that someone in serious problem debt may apply for legal protection from further interest, charges and enforcement action for a period of up to six weeks. Where appropriate, they would be offered a statutory repayment plan to help pay back their debts in a manageable way. A call to evidence to support development of the scheme was conducted between October 2017 and January 2018.The National Health Service already provides some services to people who may be experiencing the symptoms of debt problems or financial difficulties. We are aware that some general practitioner (GP) practices signpost patients to debt advice services as part of their care and some practices have arrangements in place with local Citizens Advice Bureaux and debt advice services to provide outreach support in primary care. Mental health services, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services, may also signpost patients to debt advice services as part of their care.In January 2017, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would review the practice of GPs charging patients experiencing debt issues to complete Mental Health Evidence Forms when they require medical evidence for their creditors. The Department is working with the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and a range of stakeholders from the financial and debt advice sectors and the British Medical Association to undertake the review, which we will publish in due course.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had withBedford Borough Councilconcerning the obligation to ensure that any proposal to terminate water fluoridation schemes is only determined after appropriate consultation, as set out in the Water Industry Act 1991.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Bedford Borough Council has consulted (1) the Secretary of State, and (2) the water undertaker, on whether that Council's proposal to terminate the water fluoridation scheme in Bedford can be deemed operable and efficient.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Bedford Borough Council has consulted (1) the Secretary of State, and (2) the water undertaker, on whether that Council's proposal to terminate the water fluoridation scheme in Bedford can be deemed reasonably practical.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey have sought advice from Public Health England on the impact on oral health of the intention of Bedford Borough Council to terminate the water fluoridation scheme in Bedford.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey have drawn the attention of Bedford Borough Council to the provisions contained in the Water Fluoridation (Proposals and Consultation) (England) Regulations 2013, concerning that Council's proposal to terminate the water fluoridation scheme in Bedford.

lord o'shaughnessy: The responsibility for oral health improvement and the power to make proposals in relation to water fluoridation rests with local authorities and Public Health England (PHE) has not been asked to make an independent assessment of the potential oral health impact of any proposal from Bedford Borough Council.Bedford Borough Council has made a formal proposal to vary water fluoridation arrangements but the Secretary of State has not yet been asked for an opinion on whether the arrangements as varied would be operable and efficient, nor has a view of the water undertaker on this matter or any practical aspects to giving effect to such variation been supplied.PHE published a water fluoridation toolkit, Improving oral health: a community water fluoridation toolkit for local authorities, in 2016 to support local authorities and PHE’s national and local leads have provided advice to Bedford Borough Council on the evidence base and processes required by legislation should they wish to proceed with a proposal to vary or terminate water fluoridation arrangements. This includes advising them of the requirement to ensure appropriate consultation is undertaken and directing them to the relevant Act and regulations before any proposals for termination. A copy of Improving oral health: a community water fluoridation toolkit for local authorities is attached.



Fluoridation Toolkit
(PDF Document, 1.14 MB)

Dental Health: Older People

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) standards of oral health for people aged 65 and over, and (2) whether standards of oral health have improved or deteriorated over the last five years.

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of oral health problems amongst care home residents.

lord o'shaughnessy: The 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey contains information about the oral health of adults aged 65 and over including the proportion retaining one or more natural teeth, prevalence of tooth decay and the proportions reporting current dental pain. There has not been a subsequent national survey of this age group since then to assess whether oral health has improved or deteriorated. A copy of the Executive Summary: Adult Dental Health Survey 2009 is attached.There has been no national assessment of the prevalence of oral health problems amongst care home residents.In 2016, Public Health England (PHE) reported on oral health in older people in England and Wales using data from existing surveys.The report found that older adults living in care homes were more likely to have no natural teeth and less likely to have a functional dentition; older adults living in care homes were more likely to have higher levels of tooth decay; care home managers experienced greater difficulty in accessing dental care for residents than household resident older adults did and; residents resisting oral care routines was the second most common oral health issue raised by care home managers. A copy of the report What is Known About the Oral Health of Older People in England and Wales: A review of oral health surveys of older people is attached.In 2017, PHE reported on a nationally coordinated survey of the oral health of adults using domiciliary services in England undertaken between 2009-10 and 2010-11. Results showed that adult users of domiciliary care had fewer teeth present than their peers as reported in the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey. A copy of the report Dental health among adults in contact with domiciliary care dental care services in England is attached. In 2015/16, as part of the PHE National Dental Epidemiology Programme, a pilot dental survey was undertaken nationally of older people who have a mild level of dependency. The results are due to be published in summer 2018.



Adult Dental Health Survey Exec Summary
(PDF Document, 175.83 KB)




What is Known about the Oral Health of Older 
(PDF Document, 1.09 MB)




Dental health among adults domiciliary care
(PDF Document, 157.01 KB)

Dental Health

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next Adult Dental Health Survey will be published.

lord o'shaughnessy: No decisions have been taken yet on the timing of the next Adult Dental Health Survey.

NHS: Negligence

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written answers by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 22 March(HL6196 and HL6197),how many clinical injury claims against the NHS were resolved with payment of damages (1) before the issue of proceedings, and (2) after the issue of proceedings, in each of the last five years.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.NHS Resolution has provided the following information:The following table indicates the number of clinical claims closed 2012/13 to 2016/17 with damages paid as at the end of each respective closure year:Year of ClosurePre LitigatedLitigated2012/133,5012,0092013/143,3772,2022014/153,4852,2912015/163,2812,5142016/173,7583,217 Cases resolved following court proceedings include those where the issue of proceedings has been required in order to obtain court approval of the settlement, such as children or those who are under a legal disability such as a brain injury.The figures provided do not include claims brought against general practitioners, who are covered by separate indemnity arrangements through medical defence organisations and for which data is not centrally available.

Antibiotics: Research

the earl of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measuresthey are takingto support researchand development into novel antimicrobials by small and medium-sized enterprises.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has a range of measures in place to support research and development into novel antimicrobials by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of our strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The Department funds investment of £1 billion annually in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This includes funding for research infrastructure in the National Health Service which actively supports collaboration with the life sciences industry and supports the commercialisation of new research and related technologies to help grow new companies (including SMEs) and funding. The NIHR also funds the Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme that supports collaborative research and development projects in medtech SMEs, universities and the NHS on the development of innovative medical technologies. Other investments that provide opportunities for SMEs include: - The £50 million Global AMR Innovation Fund to target investment globally in neglected and underinvested areas in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and development for the benefit of people in low and middle income countries. The scope includes the development of novel antimicrobials, including opportunities arising from traditional Chinese medicine; and - A call for AMR capital research proposals for Departmental funding of £4 million delivered by Innovate UK in 2016/17. The Department plans to invest a further £43 million on a portfolio of AMR capital research investments over the next three years, subject to appropriate business case approvals.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

the earl of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on establishing an Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) to manage the new Accelerated Access Pathway; and who are, or will be,the members of the AAC.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) has now been established, with the first meeting held in January 2018. The AAC is led by an independent chair and made up of senior representation from NHS England, the National Institute for Health Research, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Improvement, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Government, industry and patients.Sir Andrew Witty was appointed the first independent chair, but has recently stepped down to avoid a perception of conflict of interest following his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Optum. We will announce the new chair of the AAC shortly. The AAC has made strong progress under Sir Andrew Witty’s Chairmanship and we want to thank him for the excellent progress he made in establishing the AAC during his short time as the chair. We are confident that the Accelerated Access Pathway remains on track to launch in April 2018, as previously announced.

Wound Dressings

the earl of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the NHS is undertaking a fast-track trial of wound care products; and if so, when they expect to report on that trial.

lord o'shaughnessy: There is currently no fast track trial of wound care products.However, the National Health Service Clinical Evaluation Team are undertaking a number of evaluations on everyday healthcare consumables, which includes wound care products that are currently held in the NHS Supply Chain catalogue. Reports on these are published on an ongoing basis on the NHS Business Services Authority’s website.

Smoking: Young People

viscount ridley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learnt from Norway's success in reducing its smoking rate among young women from 30 per cent to 1 per cent in the last 16 years.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government published its Tobacco Control Plan (TCP), Towards a Smokefree Generation: A Tobacco Control Plan for England, in July of 2017. In developing policy proposals for the plan it reviewed evidence on how other leading tobacco control countries have implemented policies to reduce tobacco use.Smoking rates for women in England are currently at 13.7%, the lowest they have ever been. As outlined in the TCP there is a commitment to reduce smoking among adults from 15.5% to 12% or less by 2022. A copy of the TCP is attached.



Tobacco Control Plan for England
(PDF Document, 548.33 KB)

Medical Treatments: Innovation

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that, in respect of medical advances which have been funded and developed in the UK, the benefits are realised within the UK and made available to the NHS.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has multiple measures to allow the National Health Service to benefit from home grown innovations. For example, providing £41 million to support United Kingdom small and medium-sized enterprises creating world leading digital and medtech products to develop the evidence base to launch their products in the NHS; the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, which has supported the creation of over 50 clinical led start-ups, providing £39 million to improve local adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through the 15 Academic Health and Science Networks; and £6 million through the Pathway Transformation Fund to help the NHS to adopt and integrate new technologies into everyday practice.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the benefits of medical advances are available on the NHS in all areas of England.

lord o'shaughnessy: From April 2018 we are introducing a new Accelerated Access Pathway to streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting products that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly. The Pathway will be delivered by the Accelerated Access Collaborative, who will help unlock system barriers and disseminate learning. The Government is also working with key partners to expand the National Health Service Innovation Scorecard so that it covers a greater range of innovative products and is used more widely to identify unwarranted variation in uptake and improve patient outcomes.In addition to this, we have also provided £39 million to improve local adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through the 15 Academic Health and Science Networks (AHSNs). The AHSNs will provide a ‘front door’ for innovators to access the support that they need and increase local knowledge sharing. Finally, the Government will help the NHS to adopt and integrate new technologies into everyday practice through the £6 million Pathway Transformation Fund.

Gender Recognition

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any,to declassify transgender as a mental disorder.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is not responsible for the classification of mental illnesses. The most widely used relevant classification systems for the diagnosis of illnesses is the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), published by the World Health Organization, and for mental illness, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) edited by the American Psychiatric Association.The DSM removed references to transgender as a mental disorder in its last revision in 2013. The ICD still contains classifications of gender identity as mental disorders, and this aspect is currently subject to revision.

Travellers

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 8 March (HL Deb, col GC117), when the scoping study to identify Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities as separate groups will be completed.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has asked NHS England to scope whether data collection within the National Health Service could include more of the protected characteristics listed under the Equality Act 2010. This would identify Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities as separate groups for the first time and provide a better understanding of these communities access to health services, their health outcomes and the extent of the inequalities that they face. The scoping work is underway and is due to be completed this year.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to receive the final report from the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation relating to the extension of HPV vaccination to adolescent boys.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is currently reviewing evidence on the impact and cost-effectiveness of extending the human papillomavirus vaccination programme to adolescent boys. This includes mathematical modelling being undertaken by Public Health England.In February 2018 JCVI agreed that it needed to see the results of the independent peer review of the modelling work, and the additional analyses being undertaken, before concluding its advice. The JCVI further agreed that legal advice should be obtained in response to stakeholder correspondence.Once JCVI has reached a decision, the Committee’s advice will be published most likely in the form of a statement alongside the minutes of the relevant meeting. The JCVI will not be in a position to conclude its advice until the required modelling, peer review and legal advice has been considered. This work will continue through 2018 and timeframes for JCVI concluding its advice are dependent on completion of the analyses requested.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey have taken legal advice relating to whether the failure to vaccinate all young boys against HPV virus constitutes discrimination under the Equality Act 2010or other equality legislation.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is currently considering whether the human papillomavirus vaccination programme for girls, which was introduced in 2008 primarily to protect against cervical cancer, should be extended to include adolescent boys. The Department will consider its final advice once it has been received.Any on-going legal discussions related to this issue are subject to legal professional privilege. The Government will ensure that any decision taken is fully compliant with relevant equality legislation.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Diabetes

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of UK official development assistance was allocated for the treatment of diabetes in the last two years.

lord bates: Details of the UK’s official development assistance spend on health are published in Statistics on International Development https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-2017. Our reporting is based on internationally agreed OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) codes, as part of our commitment to transparent reporting of development assistance in a way that permits international comparisons. Non-communicable diseases (which include diabetes) are not categories within the OECD-DAC codes. As part of the UK’s commitment to achieving the Global Goals, DFID supports countries to build stronger health systems that can respond to both the existing disease burden and changing health needs, including non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.



Statistics on International Development 2017
(PDF Document, 2.43 MB)

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they have given in the last three years to voluntary and civil society organisations in Israel and Palestine to support dialogue and political agreement.

lord bates: The Department for International Development has allocated £3 million for a three year (2017-2020) programme to help Israelis and Palestinians work together for a just and peaceful political solution. The programme will facilitate dialogue between youth leaders and religious communities; and strengthen co-operation in the health sector. In addition the British Embassy in Tel Aviv provided around £271,000 in 2016-17 to facilitate young Israeli religious leaders’ participation in cross-community workshops to develop and promote community-led policy recommendations for peace.

Syria: International Assistance

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to international donors to increase the payment rate as a proportion of pledged donations to the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan for Syria.

lord bates: We are working closely with other donors to ensure that where money has been pledged to the Regional Crisis and Resilience Plan, and its equivalent inside Syria, these pledges are fulfilled. The European Union leads on tracking and public reporting of money pledged for the Syria Crisis. The UK continues to participate fully in feeding into these reports and encourages other donors to do so as well.

Syria: International Assistance

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government at what level the UK will be represented at the second Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region on 24 and 25 April; and whether theyintend topress participating states and non-governmental bodies to agree a mechanism for timely and transparent receipt, disbursement, and accounting of money pledged.

lord bates: The Government’s representation at the upcoming Brussels Conference: Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region is currently under consideration.The European Union leads on tracking and public reporting of money pledged for the Syria Crisis. The UK continues to participate fully in feeding into these reports and encourages other donors to do so as well.

Syria: Overseas Aid

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to ensure that there is no reduction in the level of UK funding to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and (2) to aid the relief effort in neighbouring countries in 2018–19.

lord bates: DFID country allocations for 2018 and 2019 are yet to be determined. However, we remain at the forefront in delivering on pledges. In 2017, the UK met its pledge for the regional Syria Crisis Response, disbursing £508 million, or 102% of our pledge against the commitment of £500 million made at the April 2017 Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region conference. The Government will also continue to provide assistance to support Syrian refugees in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

Department for Education

King's College London: Protest

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Office for Students concerning whether, and if so what, disciplinary action was taken by King’s College London (KCL) following the disruption by protesters of a speech by Ami Ayalon to the KCL Israel Society on 19 January 2016.

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Office for Students concerning whether, and if so what, disciplinary action was taken by King’s College London (KCL) following the disruption by protesters of a speech by Dan Meridor at KCL on 12 February.

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Office for Students concerning whether, and if so what, disciplinary action was taken by King’s College London (KCL) following the disruption by protesters of an event hosted by the KCL Libertarian Society on objectivism on 5 March, which was to have been addressed by Yaron Brook and Carl Benjamin.

lord agnew of oulton: The Office for Students (OfS) only became operational on the 1 April 2018, so any discussions before that date would have taken place with its predecessor body, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Officials in the Department for Education (DfE) liaised with HEFCE colleagues in January 2016, in relation to the speech by Ami Ayalon to the Kings College London (KCL) Israel Society. The department has not had discussions with HEFCE or the OfS concerning disciplinary actions taken with regard to the incidents that took place at KCL on 12 February and 5 March. In general, the OfS and DfE do not routinely discuss disciplinary actions, as this is matter for the institution.

Out-of-school Education

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) unlawful, and (2) unregistered, schools they are aware exist in each county in England.

lord agnew of oulton: National statistics on unlawful and unregistered schools, broken down by each county in England, are not collected centrally. Ofsted’s unregistered schools team investigates and inspects suspected illegal schools. An inspector issues a warning notice at the end of the inspection if she or he believes the setting is operating illegally as a school. In its first statistical data release published on 15 March, Ofsted stated that between 1 January 2016 and 31 January 2018, it had identified 359 possible settings that may be unregistered schools. Ofsted undertook 192 inspection and issued 50 warning notices, and 38 of those settings have since closed or ceased operating illegally. The remaining cases remained under active investigation. Further inspections have taken place since 15 March. Inspection data for the period January 2016 – February 2018 shows that 208 inspections have now taken place, 51 warning notices have been issued, 44 settings have closed or ceased operating illegally and the remaining cases remain under active investigation.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for bringing back legal aid for family reunification cases.

lord keen of elie: Legal aid is not generally available for matters concerning family reunion. Where a case is outside the scope of legal aid, exceptional funding may be available where required under ECHR or EU law. The Lord Chancellor has confirmed that we shall conduct an evidence-based review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), assessing the changes against their objectives. This review will include changes made to provision of legal aid for family reunion.

Prisoners: Death

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deaths of people serving custodial sentences there have been in each of the last five years; and for each year, how many of those deaths were the result of (1) suicide, (2) violence, and (3) natural causes.

lord keen of elie: The Government publishes statistics on deaths in custody quarterly, and updated detailed tables annually. The most recent tables were published on 26 January 2018 and cover the year to the end of December 2017. 20132014201520162017Total1,2215243257354295Self-inflicted76899012270Natural Causes131145147204184Homicide43833Other346122538of which Other/Non-natural4612114Awaiting further information0001434(1) All classifications of deaths remain provisional until confirmed at inquest.(2) Figures include incidents at HMPPS run Immigration Removal Centres.(3) A proportion of the most recent two years' figures for 'other' deaths are expected to be re-classified as natural causes or self-inflicted deaths. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to keep prisoners safe, and while the latest figures show a welcome fall in the number of deaths in total and self-inflicted deaths in particular, we can and must do more. We have established a prison safety programme through which we are taking forward a comprehensive set of actions to reduce deaths in custody, including: rolling out revised and improved training for staff in assessing and managing the risk of suicide and self-harm amongst prisoners (which has already reached nearly 15,000 staff); improving support for prisoners in their early days in custody; revising the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork case management process for those identified as being at risk; and renewing our partnership with the Samaritans by confirming a further three years' grant funding for their valuable Listeners Scheme.

Treasury

Low Pay

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of (1) employees, and (2) otherworkers, in the UK who earn less than the personal tax threshold in any one job; and of those, how many are (a) male, and (b) female.

lord bates: Estimates of the number of individuals with earnings less than the Income Tax Personal Allowance in any one job are shown in the table below. The table relates to the 2015-16 tax year when the Personal Allowance was £10,600. The figures are for people employed and taxed through Pay As You Earn Income Tax and with self-employment income taxed through Self Assessment. Individuals included in the table may have had more than one job in the year where they earnt below the Personal Allowance. The figures also include individuals with an income above £10,600 in one job, but who also had at least one job with PAYE or self-employment earnings below £10,600 in 2015-16.  Individuals with earnings less than the Income Tax Personal Allowance in any one job, 2015-16 tax year (millions) Employees (1)Self employed (2)(3)Male8.342.11Female6.831.55All15.173.66 NotesBased on Pay As You Earn data. The earnings definition used is the same as used in the publication, UK Real Time Information, Experimental Statistics.The figures for self-employment income sources are based on the 2015-16 Survey of PersonalIncomes and consistent with information published in tables 3.9 and 3.10 of HMRC’s Personal Incomes statistics, tables 3.1 to 3.11.Includes those who were trading but made a loss for the tax year.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many survivors from the Grenfell Tower fire have moved into permanent accommodation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Data provided by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea shows that, as of 22 March, 147 out of the 212 households from Grenfell Tower and Walk that need to be rehoused have accepted an offer of permanent accommodation. Of that number, 62 households have now moved into permanent accommodation.The Council reports that it has made over 300 permanent homes available for survivors from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk. It is critical that these properties meet the highest safety standards, and contractors have been appointed to ensure that necessary repairs and safety checks are carried out as a priority so that households will be able to move into their new homes.I expect all households - regardless of their level of engagement - to be given whatever support they require to be rehoused as quickly as possible.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when Ministers last met Councillors or officials from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to discuss issues surrounding Grenfell Tower.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Secretary of State spoke to the Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) on 21 March to discuss issues relating to their Grenfell Tower recovery programme. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, chairs a regular Ministerial Recovery Group, which Councillors and officials from RBKC attend, to coordinate cross Government activity and to monitor, challenge and support RBKC in delivering services to those affected. The most recent meeting was on 14 March 2018.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of when all the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire will be rehoused in permanent accommodation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As of 22 March, 189 (almost 90 per cent of households) from Grenfell Tower or Walk have accepted an offer of either temporary or permanent accommodation, and 62 households have moved into permanent accommodation.Furthermore, the Council has now made over 300 properties available to those who lost their homes, so each household can now choose a good quality property that meets their needs, with the option of staying in the area if that is what they wish.We expect all households, regardless of their level of engagement, to be given whatever support they require to be rehoused as quickly as possible. The Government will continue to play their part, providing support and challenge to the Council, and financial support currently worth more than £72 million.

Ministry of Defence

Government Departments: Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to withdraw any current List X accreditation, or other Government endorsed security clearance, granted to (1) Cambridge Analytica, and (2) Strategic Communication Laboratories.

earl howe: Our records indicate that neither Cambridge Analytica nor SCL Group currently hold List X accreditation.

Department for International Trade

Small Businesses: Overseas Trade

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address concerns that small businesses lack the funds and resources necessary to fully take advantage of global trade agreements after Brexit; and whether they are considering future measures to help such businesses in this area.

baroness fairhead: The Department for International Trade supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its overseas network, international events programme, and online services. The great.gov.uk website offers digital tools to help businesses export and has had over 3 million visitors. Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU exit with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and all regions of the UK.UK Export Finance (UKEF), offers SMEs support to export and invest overseas with confidence. In 2016-17, 79% of UK companies supported by UKEF were SMEs. In October 2017 UKEF partnered with high street banks offering SMEs, including businesses that supply exporters, access to government backed trade finance directly from their banks. UKEF also recently launched an enhanced overseas investment insurance product to protect UK businesses against political risks when investing abroad.The Government is developing a new Export Strategy which will be published in the coming months, and have engaged with numerous businesses, and organisations such as the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chamber of Commerce, and other Government departments, including BEIS, to consider how best to support all businesses, including SMEs, to export or export more.

Foreign Investment in UK: Republic of Ireland

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much foreign direct investment there was into the UK from the Republic of Ireland during the last five years.

baroness fairhead: In the last five years the Department for International Trade has recorded a total of 257 investments into the UK from the Republic of Ireland with the creation of 10,443 new and 3,025 safeguarded jobs.